Tank-cleaning device



March 24, 1925.

J. W. FORCE NK CLEANING DEVICE Filed April 15,

1924 2 sheets s hqt 1 m w m w mam/51k I Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES eareurorr cn.

JOHN WILMINGTON FORCE,

or SQUTH BEND, 'rnxns, ASSIGNOR or onn-roun'rn 'ro MARTIN M. POTTER AND ONE-FOURTH TO CHAR-LES 0', GIBSON, BOTH OF YOUNG- GOUNTY, TEXAS.

TANK-CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed Apr l 15, 19244 Serial No. 706,791.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Jonn WnaUNc'roN Fonon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident'of South Bend, in the county of Young and State of Texas, have invented a. new and Im roved Tank-Gleaning Device, of which tie following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a tank cleaning device, and has for an object the provision of a simple, strong and rugged device capable of being readily operated by any ordinary workman from outside a tank for the purpose of quickly and efficiently accomplishing the removal from the tank of any residual material contained therein.

Another object concerns the provision of a simple and efiicient residual material such as settles in an oil and chemical tank can be readily removed.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of. which- I Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken through the tank;

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3- of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-.-l

of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through the tank employing a modified form of the invention; and V Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken through the tank in which a still further modified form is shown.

The forms of the invention shown in the drawings are preferred forms, although it is understood that other modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used may be adopt-ed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

It has hitherto been a rather diliicult, laborious, time consuming and expensive matter to remove residual material from tanks, especially oil tanks or tanks in which chemical liquids, solids or other substances have been'stored. Generally the residual material is gummy in character and adheres rather intimately to the walls and on the bottom of a tank so that workmen have had to go into the tank through suitable manholes and scrape the material out. This device whereby heavy process is not only diflicult for. but objectionable to the workmen, consumes considffllilble time and requires quite a little efort.

I have developed a simple means which can be attached to any tank and which can be operated from outside the tank to quickly and eiilciently remove substantially all of the residual material.

The invention considered generally in cludes the disposition within the tank, or within any particular portion of the tank, of a curved movable vane or blade, the inner end of which is rotatably mounted on a suitable support and the outer end of which is mounted on some suitable carrier which can be operated by suitable'mechanism from outside the tank, so that the outer end of the vane is moved around in a circle with the central support having .the inner end of the vane or'blade as the center, and in so moving, the blade or vane, by reason of its curvature, will act as a sort of plow to move any material with which it comes into con-Q tact fromthe outer portions of the tank toward the center. The tank at the center portion of the space covered by the rotation of the blade is provided with apertures in its bottom through which the material can be discharged either by gravity or other suit able means. 7

It is within the scope of the invention to employ more than one blade located at different levels within the tank and operable by means of a single actuating device located outside the tank.

The inventionasshown in the drawings, which. represents one or. two preferred forms of the invention, comprises the application to a tank 1 of a curved vane or blade 2 to be disposed within the tank, or within a certain portion of the tank, for the purpose of moving material from the outer portions of the tank to a central portion of the space covered by the blade in its movement so that the material can be removed through suitable openings formed in the tank adjacent or near its .central portion. As shown in Fig. 1, the blade or vane is preferably rotatably mounted'on thecentral post 3 and the blade is suitably curved in a somewhat spiral form to its outer end, which is fastened by any suitable clamp 4; to a carrier ring 5. This carrier member or ring 5, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided with a dependent flange terial andcarry 6 (see Fig. and. this flange is adapted to ride on. a plurality of grooved rollers; 7 mounted around the inner periphery of the tank 1 at intervals. The outer end of the blade, as shown at 8, is flared outwardly so as to lie closely adjacent the inner surface of the drum, whereby in rotating the blade the maximum amount of material can be moved. from the outer edges of. thetank'toward the central portion of the tank. In the vicinity of the central portion of the tank, or the centre portion of the area covered by the lads 2 initsmevement, are disposed a plurality of holes 9, which may be of any suittlblCtSlZfi and adapted to receive the material sothat it ean bemovedeither by, gravity or other means througn the bottomiot the tank. Beneath the-bottomof the tank a chamber, indicated by the dotted.- lines 10 in Fig. 1, can be formed to receive thedischarged mait oil tosome desired point. In order to move the carrier ring or band. 5 it is provided with a plurality of perforations 11 into, which the teeth 12 on a cogwheel 13 project. This cogwheel is mounted on a shaft- 14 suitably journaled at 15 in the *alls of, the tank, the outer. end of the shaft being provided with any suitable means, such as a handle 16, so, that it can be turned. It is quite obvious from consideration of Figs. 2, 3 and. 4. that the cogv'heel 13 can engage with two carrier bands,

one above-and one below. the cogwlieel, as shown, in Fig. l; particularly, so that. the two blades connect-ed respectively to the two bands. can beoperated; This idea, is shown more schematically in Fig. 5., the bands operatingin opposite directionsand encircling the central post or support 3 at different levels.

These two vanes or blades are shown in Fig. 2. This. construction is desirable where tanks are even. almost full. of a thick, gummy. sediment and it, is desired to quickly move the mass of material toward the center of the tank where it can be withdrawn, preferably by gravity.

The bottom vane, as shown in Fig. 2. is

preferably spaced aslight distance above the bot-toni'of the tank to avoid any bolt or rivet heads which may be formed thereon, but is provided with a flexible meniber 16, suitably connected thereto, which will sweep over these obstructions and yet lie so close to the bottom as to effectively sweep the sediment from the floor ot'ithe tank.

As shown in Fig. 2, it will be noticed that flange plates such, as 17'are disposed above the carrier plate at the pointsrwhere they rest on the rollers? so as to holdthe carrier plates in positionon the rollers 7'.

As shown in Fig. 6, it may be sometimes desirable to provide a plurality of carrier bands or rings 5 through. a tank ii the tank is quite large; and to provide a separate fwhich. the outer end. of the vbladev is center, the bottom of the handle for each; band, and to be operated from without the tank. In this way the entire. tank can be quickly cleared of sediment to a major extent, although not entirely, V i

It will'be obvious, therefore, that l" have provided a. simple, efiicient, strong and durable device for removing sediment from a tank, especially, viscous sediment, and that the device can be very easily operated by any ordinary workman. fromwithout the tank, eliminating, to a substantial extent the necessity for workmen to go intothe tank to removeithe f necessary amount of theresidue.

What I- claimisr- V 1. A device lionoleaningvtanks, whichcomprises a base or support located; within a tank, an inner curved blade-rotatably mounted on said support within the tank, a rotatable ring disposed; within the tank to whichthe outerench of theblade is connested, and: means connected to the ring and extending without the tank for operatingthe ring,whereby the blade may be rotated, the curvature of the blade moving the material within the tank from the outer edges to the center, the bottom of the tank adjacent the center of rotation. of theblade being provided with apertures for the discharge of thematerial.

.2.;A device: for, cleaning tanks, which comprises a base or support located within a tank, ani-nner curved blade rotatably. mounted on said support within the tank, a. rotatable ring disposed; within. the tank to which the outer; endof the blade is connected,.and i'neanseonneeted .tothe ring and extending without the tank for operating the ring, whereby the blade may. be rotated, the curvature of the blade moving the material within the tank. from. the outer. edges to the center, the bottom of the tank adjacent the center of rotation of the blade being provided with. apertures, for the discharge of' the material, the outer end of the blade being flared. or curved to lie-close- 1y adjacent; the inner surface of the tank.

3.;A device. for cleaning tanks, which comprises. a: base or support located within a tank, an inner curved bladerotatably mounted on said support withinthe tank, a. rotatable ring disposed. within the tank to connected, means CODDQClZGCl tOz the ring and extending without the tank foroperating the ring, whereby the blade may be rotated, the curvature of the blade moving the material within the tank from theouter edges to the tank, adjacent the center of'notation 'offthe blade being provided with apertures for the dischargeof' the material, the outer end of the blade being fl'ared or curved to lie closely adjacent the inner surface of thetank, the bottom of the blade being spaced flatly above the said ring, said ring'being perforated, a'

cogwheel, the teeth of which engage in the perforations, a shaft on which said cog-v wheel is mounted and extending in a leaktight manner through the walls of the tank, means for operating said shaft to rotate the ring, a curved blade, the outer end of.

which is connected to the ring, and a supporting member centrally disposed with respect to the center of rotation of the ring, the inner end of the blade being connected to said supporting member.

5. A device for cleaning tanks, which comprises a rotatable ring disposed within the tank, a plurality of rollers supported within the tank, a flange on said ring dependably bearing on said rollers for the purpose of supporting the ring, a plurality of flanged plates disposed above the ring throughout its circumference to keep the ring bearing on the rollers, said ring'being apertured, a cogwheel the teeth of which engage said apertures, the shaft on which said cogwheel is mounted extending through the tank wall for operation from without, a curved blade or vane the outer end of which is connected to the ring, and a central support located within the tank adjav cent the center of rotation of the ring, to which support the inner end of the blade is connected.

6 A device for cleaning tanks, which comprises a rotatable ring disposed within the tank, a plurality of rollers supported within the tank, a flange on said ring dependably bearing on said rollers for the purpose of'supporting the ring, a plurality of" flanged plates disposed above the ring throughout its circumference to keep the ring bearing on the rollers, said ring being apertured, a cogwheel the teeth of which engage said apertures, the shaft on which said cogwheel is mounted extending through. the tank wall for operation from without, a curved blade or vane the outer end of which is connected to the ring, and a central support located within the tank adjacent the center of rotation of the ring, to which support the inner end of the blade. is connected, said tank having a plurality of apertures in its bottom adjacent the central support, the outer end of the blade being flared or curved to lie closely adjacent the inner surface of the tank.

JOHN WILMINGTON FORCE. 

